Amazon Studios – Gigaomhttp://gigaom.com
The industry leader in emerging technology researchThu, 08 Dec 2016 20:14:32 +0000en-UShourly1New Hollywood kinda like old Hollywood: Amazon does power lunches toohttp://gigaom.com/2014/02/13/new-hollywood-kinda-like-old-hollywood-amazon-does-power-lunches-too/
Thu, 13 Feb 2014 23:49:50 +0000http://research.gigaom.com/?p=218310Like many, I’ve been watching the Amazon Studios experiment pretty closely. The company is actively building a library of content with its pilot program, wherein the company takes in submissions through its website and also through the traditional pitch process.

The only thing is, I didn’t know how much of its current crop of content from big names like Michael Connelly and others involved the old-school method of taking meetings vs. the newer-fangled submission model.

“We started writing a script, and doing preliminary talks. We didn’t pitch it anywhere, but we told Netflix what we were doing, we told HBO, and I happened to know through my publishing experience the guy who ran the publishing arm of Amazon, and I’d gone to a baseball game with him and mentioned this what I was doing, so he hooked me up with a guy named Joe Lewis at Amazon Studios. He wanted to meet with us, and see what we we’re doing and talk about it. We did that, for a lunch, and by the end of the lunch he said “we’ll take it.”

Connelly went on to talk about the experience of working with Amazon, which he said gave them the budget they were looking for and was actively involved in the development of the pilot. At the same time, Connelly, who has worked on a number of pilots and movies, said Amazon was very trusting and gave them lots of freedom to develop the project without over-interfering.

Summing the experience up, Connelly put it this way: “It was pretty refreshing after having gone down the road in other ways with other networks and so forth.”

]]>Amazon will test 2 new dramas, by X-Files screenwriter Chris Carter and author Michael Connellyhttp://gigaom.com/2013/10/31/amazon-will-test-2-new-dramas-by-x-files-screenwriter-chris-carter-and-author-michael-connelly/
http://gigaom.com/2013/10/31/amazon-will-test-2-new-dramas-by-x-files-screenwriter-chris-carter-and-author-michael-connelly/#commentsThu, 31 Oct 2013 13:34:55 +0000http://gigaom.com/?p=710826X-Files screenwriter Chris Carter, one based on Michael Connelly's bestselling Harry Bosch series.]]>Amazon (s AMZN) Studios is considering its first hour-long original dramas, and has greenlighted two pilots for testing by Amazon users. If the pilots get positive viewer feedback, Amazon will produce full seasons that will be available on Prime Instant Video and Lovefilm in early 2014.

The first pilot, The After, is written by X-Files screenwriter Chris Carter. The second, Bosch, is based on Michael Connelly’s bestselling Harry Bosch series and is co-written by Connelly and Eric Overmyer, who’s also written for The Wire, Treme and Law & Order, among other shows.

Amazon followed the same testing model with half-hour comedies and kids’ shows and chose to go forward with five this year. Two comedies — Alpha House, a political comedy written by “Doonesbury” creator Garry Trudeau and starring John Goodman, and Betas, a show about a group of friends trying to make it in Silicon Valley — will start streaming in November.

It’s all part of Amazon’s plan to provide more value to Prime members, who pay $79 a year for unlimited two-day shipping and other perks. In its most recent earnings report, Amazon said it had added “millions” of Prime members during the quarter, thanks in part to streaming video. A successful hour-long original drama would also help Amazon compete against Netflix, which got tons of publicity — and Emmy nominations — this year for its original drama House of Cards.

Here are the official descriptions of the two dramas:

Bosch

“Based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling Harry Bosch series and written by Eric Overmyer and Michael Connelly, Bosch follows a relentless LAPD homicide detective as he pursues the killer of a 13-year-old boy while standing trial in federal court on accusations that he murdered a suspected serial killer in cold blood. Bosch will be played by Titus Welliver (Argo, The Good Wife) and the pilot will also star Annie Wersching, Amy Price-Francis and Jamie Hector. Henrik Bastin of Fabrik Entertainment (The Killing) is producing and Jim McKay will direct.”

]]>http://gigaom.com/2013/10/31/amazon-will-test-2-new-dramas-by-x-files-screenwriter-chris-carter-and-author-michael-connelly/feed/1Amazon Studios announces kids’ pilots from Jim Henson Company, Blue’s Clues creatorhttp://gigaom.com/2013/01/31/amazon-studios-announces-kids-pilots-from-jim-henson-company-blues-clues-creator/
Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:27:44 +0000http://paidcontent.org/?p=223920Blue's Clues and Rugrats. User feedback will help determine whether the shows go into production.]]>About a month after it revealed its first six comedy pilots, Amazon (s AMZN) Studios announced Tuesday that it’s approved five pilots for children’s shows. Some big names are attached: Angela Santomero, the creator of Super Why! and Blue’s Clues, is behind one of the pilots, while the Jim Henson Company is producing another.

The kids’ pilots, along with the six comedy pilots, will be posted on Amazon Instant Video, Prime Instant Video, Lovefilm UK and Lovefilm Germany, where customers can watch them for free and help determine which go into production.

It’s all part of Amazon’s initiative to remove the middleman from streaming TV. The shows’ creators get $10,000 when their show is optioned and $55,000 if it’s chosen for production, as well as a share of licensing fees and other royalties. Amazon says it’s now optioned a total of 25 projects, and it’s looking for more children’s and comedy shows.

Here are the first five children’s pilots:

Creative Galaxy

Creative Galaxy is an animated interactive art adventure series, designed to inspire kids’ creative thinking through crafts, story, music and dance. The series was created by Angela Santomero, creator of Super Why!, the Emmy-nominated literacy series, Blue’s Clues and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.

Oz Adventures

In this innovative problem solving series, Dot, Dorothy’s daughter, goes off to Oz everyday with the children of the beloved characters from L. Frank Baum’s classic book, The Wizard of Oz. In each episode, the yellow brick road leads Dot to a new magical location where she solves problems alongside her Oz friends.

Teeny Tiny Dogs

Produced by The Jim Henson Company (Sid the Science Kid, Dinosaur Train) and created by Howard Baker (Rugrats), Teeny Tiny Dogs follows Butch, Butterfly, Dinky and Polly as they help one another navigate the big world despite their teeny, tiny, small size. This series promotes happiness through friendship, learning, growing and developing a strong sense of self as seen through the eyes of canine friends.

Tumbleaf

Tumbleaf was created by Drew Hodges and Bix Pix Studios, an award-winning stop motion studio. The series, aimed at preschoolers, is set in a whimsical land where a small blue fox named Fig plays each day and discovers adventure, friendship and love around every bend in the path. Children will be enriched by narratives that promote play through exploration and cognitive reasoning.

The Untitled J.J. Johnson Project

The Untitled J.J. Johnson Project revolves around Anne, a young scientist, who creates three robot helpers to assist her scientific experiments in the back of her dad’s junkyard. This science-based series from creator J.J. Johnson (Dino Dan, This is Emily Yeung) aims to introduce kids to science and technology in a fun, new way.

]]>Amazon Studios taps the Onion, Daily Show writers, others for comedy pilotshttp://gigaom.com/2012/12/20/amazon-studios-first-six-comedy-pilots-the-onion-garry-trudeau-and-more/
http://gigaom.com/2012/12/20/amazon-studios-first-six-comedy-pilots-the-onion-garry-trudeau-and-more/#commentsThu, 20 Dec 2012 14:39:07 +0000http://gigaom.com/?p=596309Amazon (s AMZN) Studios, Amazon’s film production division, will produce pilots for six original comedy series, the company announced Thursday — including shows from the Onion, “Doonesbury” writer Garry Trudeau and Daily Show writer David Javerbaum.

In May, Amazon Studios invited developers to submit proposals for original children’s and comedy shows. The program is an effort to create original content while cutting out the middleman — big studios and networks. Creators get $10,000 if a show is optioned, and “a $55,000 payment, up to 5 percent of Amazon’s net receipts from toy and t-shirt licensing, and other royalties and bonuses” if a series is produced. In addition to the pilots announced today, Amazon previously optioned 14 other projects.

The pilots will be posted on Amazon Instant Video, where customers can watch them for free, and “viewer feedback will help determine which series Amazon Studios should produce. Completed seasons will be exclusively available to Prime members through Prime Instant Video and Lovefilm in the U.K. for free.”

Here are the six pilots:

Alpha House

Alpha House was written by Academy Award nominee and Pulitzer-Prize winner Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury, Tanner ’88). Alpha House follows four senators who live together in a rented house in Washington DC.

Browsers

Written by 12-time Emmy-winning comedy writer David Javerbaum (The Daily Show) and to be directed by Don Scardino (30 Rock), Browsers is a musical comedy set in contemporary Manhattan that follows four young people as they start their first jobs at a news website.

Dark Minions

Written by Big Bang Theory co-stars Kevin Sussman and John Ross Bowie, Dark Minions is an animated workplace series about two slackers just trying to make a paycheck working an intergalactic warship. The pilot will be produced by Principato-Young (Reno 911).

The Onion Presents: The News

The Onion Presents: The News is a smart, fast-paced scripted comedy set behind the scenes of The Onion News Network that shows just how far journalists will go to stay at the top of their game. The Onion Presents: The News is from The Onion’s Will Graham & Dan Mirk (The Onion News Network, The Onion Sportsdome).

Supanatural

Supanatural is an animated comedy series about two outspoken divas who are humanity’s last line of defense against the supernatural, when they’re not working at the mall. The series, written by Lily Sparks, Price Peterson and Ryan Sandoval, will be produced by Jason Micallef (Butter) and Kristen Schaal (The Daily Show).

Those Who Can’t

Written by Andrew Orvedahl, Adam Cayton-Holland and Benjamin Roy (Grawlix), who were discovered through Amazon Studios online open door process, Those Who Can’t is a comedy about three juvenile, misfit teachers who are just as immature, if not more so, than the students they teach.

]]>http://gigaom.com/2012/12/20/amazon-studios-first-six-comedy-pilots-the-onion-garry-trudeau-and-more/feed/3Amazon wants to remove middlemen from streaming TV, toohttp://gigaom.com/2012/05/02/amazon-studios/
http://gigaom.com/2012/05/02/amazon-studios/#commentsWed, 02 May 2012 15:44:55 +0000http://paidcontent.org/?p=207553Amazon doesn’t like middlemen. Through Amazon Publishing, the company signs authors up directly to write books. Now the company is searching for other types of content creators. Amazon Studios is inviting developers to submit proposals for original kids’ and comedy shows. Some will be distributed through Amazon Instant Video.

Amazon will “option one promising new project and add it to the development slate where it will be tested for viability with an audience” each month, the company says in a release. If a show is optioned, the creator gets $10,000. If Amazon decides to develop the show as a series, “the creator will receive a $55,000 payment, up to 5 percent of Amazon’s net receipts from toy and t-shirt licensing, and other royalties and bonuses.”

Projects can be submitted here. Proposals require a five-page description and a 22-minute pilot script for comedies or 11-minute pilot script for kids’ shows. “Within 45 days of submission, Amazon Studios will either extend an option on the project for $10,000 or invite the creator to add the project to the Amazon Studios site. If a project is not optioned, creators may remove their idea from the Amazon Studios site or leave it to get community feedback.”

]]>http://gigaom.com/2012/05/02/amazon-studios/feed/5Amazon hiring creative execs for original programminghttp://gigaom.com/2012/02/10/amazon-original-programming/
http://gigaom.com/2012/02/10/amazon-original-programming/#commentsFri, 10 Feb 2012 23:19:30 +0000http://gigaom.com/?p=483581Add Amazon (s amzn) to the list of online video providers that could soon release some new original programming. The company is looking to hire creative executives to develop and produce original comedies and kids shows for online and traditional distribution.

According to a couple of job postings on the Amazon jobs site, the online retailer is hiring creative execs to develop programming through its Amazon Studios initiative. The jobs specifically are for the “People’s Production Company,” which is the name of the production studio producing original content, located in Sherman Oaks, Calif. Successful applicants would report to Amazon’s VP of Series Development and would be expected to:

Amazon Studios apparently paid $580,000 to script writers and $2.1 million for test movies in 2011, but programming has yet to make it to distribution. But the fact that Amazon is hiring creative execs to shepherd projects through the development process means that we could see some original shows popping up soon.